Councilmember Reuben Snipper promised him not to fall out of his chair*. The former mayor Kathy Porter praised his calm professionalism. Erwin Mack, executive director of the Crossroads Development Authority, said he was glad to see him go (because he set such a good example for those to follow), Dan Robinson thanked him for keeping meetings short, to the point, and concise. His daughter came to the microphone to say "Thanks, dad!"
]]> That's how Takoma Park sent off former councilmember Doug Barry shortly after he stepped down from his Ward Six seat. He is moving from the city and so can no longer serve in that office.The consensus of the speeches and comments at the June 22 recognition ceremony was that Doug Barry is a classy guy. Your Gilbert agrees, it's a shame he left. He was well-praised for his work on various issues from the Takoma/Langely Crossroads and New Hampshire Ave. Corridor developments, housing code enforcement, tenant's rights, and more.
Barry did not disappoint, he made a lyrical speech, apparently without notes, which Your Gilbert will quote from at length with just a few edits. His poignant thoughts are appropriate for this July 4th Holiday weekend, which in Takoma Park is a celebration of neighbors and neighborhood:
"The many thousands of times I took the subway to Takoma Park I was always happy to have arrived at Takoma Station, and I was happy because it was the place I called "home" for all of these years, and my special part of it in Ward Six . . . .
"You know there's something very special about a neighborhood, and we were reflecting on that just the other day when we met with some of the neighbors . . . on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. . . ."It was just the sense of comfort that one has when living in a neighborhood, surrounded by people one cares about. And it could be very subtle things, like the flicker of a television set seen through a living room window - maybe the last thing you see at night. You know someone is there, you know they're watching their favorite television program. It's comfortable to realize that.
"When you see the children running on the street and you see the pets: the dogs, the cats who you know by name, the friendly waves from people, the special celebrations you share on holiday times. You see the kids growing older. You see the old getting even older, and you see yourself also maturing as you live among these people.
"It's a sense of place and its a great comfort. Once you move you realize those important things you take for granted and how really, really important they are. "
The only off-key note in the proceedings was a myopic remark from Chuck Thomas, the uber-parent activist who has been howling for weeks about school boundary changes. He took the public comment opportunity during Barry's recognition to rudely press his issue on Barry's appointed replacement.
That appointed replacement, as brilliantly predicted by Your Gilbert, is Donna Victoria. She is to fill out the remainder of Barry's term. The terms of the appointment are that she agrees not to run for the Ward Six seat next fall.
We wonder if Barry Lee Howard, the applicant who was not chosen, might opt to run for that seat. Though not as experienced as Ms. Victoria, he stated when interviewed by the council that her civic activism had inspired him to follow a similar path.
Happy Fourth, Dear Readers, and please remember to donate to the Takoma Park Independence Day Committee. Buy raffle tickets! The parade and fireworks are NOT paid for by the city (well, except for some grant funding here and there), it is otherwise a private, volunteer effort. So, dig deep!
PS. Please note that we have increased our anti-spam settings on this blog, as we have been experiencing heavy spamming. If your comment does not go through, or take a long time to appear, that is why. If you experience problems, email us at gilbert@takoma.com.
* As diligently reported by Your Gilbert who misses nothing, not even the fall of a councilmember, representative Barry prematurely and suddenly parted company with his council seat (perhaps a sign of what was to come) at the February 9, 2009 council meeting, sending Barry sprawling unhurt on the floor, and livening up the otherwise dry proceedings. That particular chair is for the Mayor Pro Tempore, which Barry served as since last election. Councilmember Snipper now occupies the same chair, having been appointed Mayor Pro Tempore by Mayor Bruce Williams when Barry resigned.
Your Gilbert is officially annoyed at Councilmember Reuben Snipper. We would include Mayor Bruce Williams and Chief Ronald Ricucci, but they are healthy and strong, whereas Snipper is still in recovery from a nasty bike/auto mishap. We prefer to pick fights with people who are already knocked down, injured, and unable to chase us.
Besides, it is Snipper who repeatedly brings up the The Incident. Every time he sees Chief Ricucci, or every time the subject of bicycles comes up, he mentions The Incident. The Incident was this: shortly after he was elected to the council the chief pulled Snipper over for running a stop sign on his bicycle. The chief let him go with a warning, but not without a lecture. Bicycles, he said, have to follow the same rules of the road as automobiles.
Rules of the road? Bicycles must stop at stop signs the same as automobiles? Even when they can see there's no danger? Brake a perfectly good coast for nothing?
]]> What's the point of bicycling if one can't coast? Not only is it one of life's most joyous experiences, it is essential to biking, especially when the bicyclist needs momentum to get up the next slope. Unnecessary braking for a stop sign is NOT sustainable, to use the council's favorite buzz word. It wastes natural energy! Why should a sustainable energy source (a bicyclist) be forced to follow rules for a polluting, green-house-gas-producing, big, fat, smelly, size-15 carbon-footprint automobile?Rules of the road, my sweet Mother Jones! The rules need to be changed! The stop signs should be moved! The cars must follow OUR rules!
Is that what Snipper, chaining himself to the police car and starting a hunger strike, told the chief?
NO! Snipper couldn't say "yessir!" fast enough. He probably saluted, betraying all we Takoma Parkians hold dear!
But, let us not cast aspersions or call names. No, no! Your Gilbert is above all that. Why, we even have sympathy for the two-legged snake-in-the-grass, turncoat, running-dog quisling. It is possible that in his long minute of captivity he was stricken with Stockholm Syndrome, the condition in which hostages take on the beliefs and goals of their captors.
Yes, Reuben Snipper could be the Patty Hearst of Takoma Park!
We sincerely HOPE that is the explanation, otherwise we'd have to instigate official proceedings to have Mr. Snipper drummed out of the city- his "Question Authority!" bumper sticker stripped from his Prius, his bicycle pump snapped in two - and have him exiled to a whitebread suburb beyond the Beltway where nobody over age 12 rides a bicycle because they eat so much meat and fried foods they can't perch their bloated butts on a bike seat without falling over.
Allow us a moment to catch our breath and imbibe some cool liquid, Dear Reader. Ahh, that's better!
Snipper brought Your Gilbert's abuse tough love on himself by bringing up The Incident to the city's Safe Roads Committee at the council's June 22 meeting. The committee members were discussing plans for bike lanes when Snipper, aided and abetted by Mayor Williams, brought up The Incident and the "Rules of the Road."
In the pious tones authority figures often take when informing others of their alleged duties when said duties advance authorities' interests*, they made the committee representative acknowledge the responsibility of bicyclists to follow the Rules of the Road. It was off the point of the discussion, but the representative played along, resentfully rubbing his twisted arm.
So, on one hand they say bicyclists must follow the same rules as motorized vehicles. On the other they say bicyclists must be in their own separate but unequal lanes: either in bike lanes or in the gutter.
Separate but unequal, eh? How far the "progressive" Takoma Park has fallen!
Well, do bikes equal cars or not? That's the question we put to the city lawmakers. If bikes equal cars, then let bikes into the center of the driving lane and make drivers slow down to accommodate our speed - especially UPHILL after a FULL STOP. Better yet, put bikes and cars on totally equal footing by requiring drivers to turn their engines off inside city limits and push their vehicles through town.
Lawmakers and law-enforcers, if you have the good sense to admit that bikes are NOT equal to cars, cut bicyclists some slack and adjust the laws, or your enforcement of them, to reflect the reality of bike riding.
Meanwhile, Back at the Council
Other things, perhaps even important ones, happened at the last meeting. Your Gilbert will report on those in an upcoming post. The council is taking a break next week, so we have a while. There wasn't anything THAT important.
- Gilbert
*the same sort of tone the Committee of Public Safety (the French one, not the Takoma Park one) must have used when reminding victims of their duty to remove hats and neckerchiefs before placing their heads in the guillotine.
]]>With engines set at Warp 10, the city council zoomed through their most recent three meetings. Good thing there are no speed cameras in the council chambers!
They were able to jog along faster than a light beam because most of the agenda items were no-brainers, requiring only a quick vote. Items dealing with staff pay scales had been previously discussed. Appointments to the Recreation Committee, the Board of Elections, and the Commission of Landlord-Tenant Affairs needed no comment. The appointment of new mayor pro tempore Reuben Snipper to replace outgoing (now outgone) Doug Barry took a millisecond.
The vote for a resolution in support of the elementary school's Young Activist Club was held up for a few moments for a few charming and persuasive comments by the young activists themselves. They are petitioning the schools to replace disposable styrofoam cafeteria trays with reusable ones.
Tasty Tidbits
Heads up on these tidbits, Dear Readers. They came up at various times in the last three weeks during one discussion or another. Little was decided, but they will come up again and you might want to know about them:
First, the council, staff, police chief, city attorney, and the Old Town Business Association got liquored up. Not in the fun way. They imbibed the distilled spirits of all the city, county, and state laws about liquor stores - and there are enough of them to fill a whiskey barrel.
Roz Grigsby of the Old Town Business Association came before the council June 1 with the question often posed to her, "Why can't we have a nice upscale wine store in Takoma Park? Huh? Huh? Whyzat? Hey, how 'bout 'nother lil' drink? "
The reason we don't is the city's unique history. Takoma Park was established as a dry city. It remained so until the 80s when restaurants were allowed to sell liquor. Liquor or beer and wine stores are still not legal, they would only be allowed through changes in city code, which would have to be cleared all the way up the line to the state. The voluminous state and county laws and regulations are daunting, not only to anyone wanting to open a beverage store but to the communities where they reside. Once a store is allowed to open, the community has little control over the hours it is allowed to be open or the kind of store it is. In other words, once the city says someone can open an upscale wine store, it may get a downscale slop shop - if not at first, eventually. As Sue Silber, the city attorney said, a wine store can seem like a sweet thing, "but sweet things can become sour."
Chief Ronald A. Ricucci and Ms. Silber brought up crime issues that liquor stores and bars can introduce into a community.
The longer the council, staff, and police discussed it, the less enthusiastic they became. They also realized it was too late to submit state legislation this year. However, the question will likely become part of a city survey in the near future.
Councilmember Terry Seamens was against the idea of a beverage store, saying there were were bigger priorities that needed to be addressed. He saw no positive outcomes from such an establishment. Councilmember Snipper was of the same opinion and added that he has heard from constituents strongly opposed to the idea.
Your Gilbert feels that this is one area the city should respect and uphold it's quirky history, even if inconvenient to those whose quality of life requires strolling through Old Town displaying a prestigious bottle of plonk. As Councilmember Snipper noted, there are any number of liquor stores within close distance. City restaurants where one can buy a drink with dinner are fairly subtle to the observer, a liquor store would be a big fat middle finger in the face of the city's teetotaling founding fathers and mothers.
We also feel that the city should not enter into any arrangements with the archaic county liquor control system. Personally, Your Gilbert refuses to buy liquor from any beverage store in Montgomery county. All beer, wine, and hard liquor sold in the county at restaurants, bars, and liquor stores must be purchased from the county Department of Liquor Control. It is a needless, ridiculous system which results in high prices and narrow selection.
Sector Specter
Another interesting tidbit is the "Sector Plan," short for "Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan." The plan is for redeveloping the junction of University and New Hampshire Avenues and large portions of those two major streets leading up to the crossroads. It directly involves three jurisdictions: the city, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County. It impacts on the city's revitalization plans for the New Hampshire Avenue Corridor, just south of the junction, and the District of Columbia just beyond. However the jurisdictions are not communicating well about this redevelopment plan, and both Prince George's and Montgomery have their own Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan.
This is bad news considering that the proposed Purple Line is going to run right through there. If there isn't good coordination between all jurisdictions there could be serious problems for traffic, businesses, and nearby residents.
One aspect that looks like trouble is the proposed "right, right, right, right-turn" or "jug-handle" traffic plan proposed for the area. Supposedly these patterns are needed to keep traffic from getting snarled once the Purple Line light rail is in place. On an ordinary city grid they make sense - a driver can't turn left onto a cross street, so she turns at the right instead and goes around the block - sort of an urban cloverleaf exit.
However, the Langley Park junction is not an ordinary city grid. The "roads" suggested for this jug-handle route are currently alleys and streets as narrow as 20 feet wide. They would have to be widened to 60 feet. As Erwin Mack told the council, "buildings would have to go."
Mack, Executive Director of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority, Inc. represented several concerns to the council, among them that no traffic study has been made of the area, yet the plans are going forward.
The council is preparing a resolution that presents its concerns to Prince George's County, including the jug-handle turns, a firmer commitment to installing bike lanes, and better multi-jurisdictional coordination.
What If They Installed Speed Cameras and Nobody Paid?
The last tidbit, for you speed camera fans, is that only 20% of the New Hampshire Avenue speed camera tickets issued in April have been paid. The city manager reported that camera-issued speeding tickets netted $70,000, but if everyone had paid would have netted $300,000. She hastened to add that the city installed the cameras to slow traffic down, not make money.
Two for Six
Who will it be? The council must choose between two applicants for Ward 6's council seat. When he moved out of the city, councilmember Doug Barry left the seat open until next November's election. Whoever takes the seat must agree not to run in that election.
Barry Lee Howard and Donna Victoria stepped forward to fulfill this civic duty. Both applicants deserve kudos (or medication) for stepping forth so selflessly. Ms Victoria, a 15 year resident of Ward 6, is the likely choice. She has a long record of civic involvement that would enable her to get up to speed with council issues quickly. The appointment will be made at the council's next meeting June 22.
- Gilbert
]]>No, it's not. Yes, they do. No, they don't. And, No, it hasn't, Lawrence.
Lawrence, you are so sadly misguided! A dis-incorporation movement would be about as popular in Takoma Park as a gun club (and, there would probably be a lot of overlapping membership).
]]> For proof of this, observe the angry pile of folk who steamed up to the mic at the Citizen's Comment session of the May 25 Takoma Park city council meeting. They were young parents, relative newcomers to the city, and they were there to bellow "HELLLLP!" at their nearest and dearest elected officials.The county school system is changing school district boundaries, as it does from time to time, and these parents were afraid their kids would end up in a school outside the city. This upsets them because: 1) they want their children to be in school with their friends, 2) they feel that the city boundaries should be respected by the school system, and 3) they deliberately bought houses in Takoma Park, despite the higher taxes and home costs, so their kids could attend the schools here. One mother said that she was mad because if her neighborhood is switched to a non-city school, it would lower her property values.
Now, how do you suppose such people would react if you suggested dis-incorporating, Lawrence?
There are a LOT of residents who deliberately moved to Takoma Park despite the higher prices and the additional tax burden. They like the community, the city services, the schools, and the rising-or-at-least-solid property values. Whisper "dis-incorporate" to these people and they would jump down your throat faster than a swine-flu bug.
Tell Me Why
Mayor Bruce Williams, no fool in the face of irate uber-parents, told them that on their behalf the council would ask the county to follow its own criteria - which call for maintaining communities when making boundary changes. He did gently point out that the "tendency" of the city council was not to get involved in school boundary issues. He also dropped the hint that the county school system has a process that is "fairly constricted" to public input. But, he said, the council would talk to people in the county system and represent their concerns.
And that's ANOTHER reason dis-incorporation will never happen.
Dear Readers, tell me why these people were seeking redress for a COUNTY problem from CITY elected officials when city officials have NO authority over the county schools?
We'll tell you why! Its because the city council is accessible and responsive. Relative to the county or state, anyway The huge, top-down, bureaucratic school system and the aloof school board don't give a rat's tail about 25 families in Takoma Park. Same for our elected county councilmembers. 25 votes are nothing to them.
25 votes in Takoma Park could carry an election. So, even though the city council has no authority, they will DO something for these constituents, even if it is only to talk to the authorities on their behalf.
This is the value of local government. It is not a value you can measure by tax dollars, Dear Readers. This is why people want to move here. This is why property values are so high here.
Unincorporated areas such as Silver Spring and Kensington get similar services for fewer taxes, but they don't have an accessible and responsive local government as we do. How much is that worth? Apparently, it is worth a lot. Despite our higher tax rate, people want to move here and the high property values demonstrate the desirability of Takoma Park.
Thanks, Sammie!
And while we're tossing down rhetorical questions, Dear Readers; how do you suppose Takoma Park got this way?
Sammie Abbott, that's how!
Or it was Sammie's friends and allies, or, most likely, all of 'em together. The record shows a citizen initiated ballot referendum establishing our current ward system was passed in 1980, the same year Sammie was first elected mayor. The actual change came in 1982, the next election.
Prior to that, the city councilmembers were elected at-large. The 1980-1982 council was hostile to Abbott and his ideas. In 1982, the first ward elections were held and a slate of Abbott supporters swept into office. Without having to spend much money or depend on citywide influence the new candidates won the votes by going door to door through their own neighborhoods. The small size of the wards made the representatives highly sensitive to consistent needs (and votes).
If only we had this kind of responsive representation on the county council and the school board with their huge districts that require huge campaign chests and political influence to run a campaign in.
Turn the telescope around, you dis-incorporationists, you are looking at it though the wrong end! The solution to double-taxation and high taxes is not to dis-incorporate the city. It is to dis-incorporate the COUNTY! Incorporate Silver Spring, Kensington, and Bethesda and let them experience real democracy!
FINALLY!
The final vote was taken on the budget. As expected there were 2 votes against it. "Nay" voters Terry Seamens and Josh Wright said the budget could have been squeezed a bit more.
Fare Thee Well, Sir Barry
Councilmember Doug Barry attended his last meeting (as Ward 6 representative, anyway). He is moving from Takoma Park and cannot serve out his term. A replacement will be appointed by the council However, so far there have been no applications for the temporary post. Perhaps this is because of the condition that whoever fills the last few months of Barry's term may not run for the office this fall.
Your Gilbert bids a fond farewell to councilmember Barry, whom we once described as "a blast of oxygen" and a knight "riding in on a white horse" for his businesslike, efficient, and effective style. It stood in stark contrast to that of his council colleagues at the time, and perhaps now.
- Gilbert
]]>The rate is lower than that first proposed in the city manager's 2010 budget, but councilmembers Terry Seamens and Josh Wright, were NOT comfortable with the lowered rate, each saying they though it should be lower still.
]]> They split the budget rate vote 4 to 2.Your Gilbert arches his ironic eyebrow. Wright, who last year chastised an effort by councilmember Dan Robinson to trim the budget, has joined the Tax Cut Crusaders this year, while Robinson voted with the Tax and Spenders. This is especially ironic given that Robinson was active with Sustainable Takoma in its hey day. Sustainable Takoma was (is?) a group of fiscal conservatives that didn't exactly call for reducing or eliminating city services, but it certainly hinted at it - it's website had a not-entirely-accurate chart showing how much more city tax money went for services that other localities got from the county.
Your Gilbert is also curious how the mayor and the three other "yea" voters calculated their comfort level with the tax rate rise against the fact that this is an election year. It is true that fiscal issues seldom provide much traction in city elections. Even the community center boondoggle didn't result in anyone getting booted from office. For that matter, contested races are rare. So, perhaps it is a safe calculation.
Cuddly
For whatever it is worth (opinions vary) the city now has an official Strategic Plan in all it's vague and jumbled glory. The council voted unanimously on May 18 to adopt it. Supposedly, it will be up for yearly review and revision because issues, priorities, and strategies change. Why then, you may ask, do we need to write it down?
The answer is that some people like to write things down. They like lists, they like "crafting" statements that carefully avoid offending any of the other councilmembers. And they like having a plan, one from which catchwords and phrases can be borrowed from, so everyone can have a cuddly feeling of common purpose, or at least common jargon.
So, for at least a year, every supplicant before the city council (every supplicant who has done his/her homework) will regurgitate the phrases "sustainability," "livable community," and "engaged, responsive, service-orientated government" at them. If the lack of parallel grammatical construction of those three "prioritized goals" bothers you, you are not alone, Dear Reader. Councilmember Clay stuck up for the grammarian constituency, requesting that the writing be reconstructed into parallel shape. That would be the sustainable way to support a livable community with an engaged, responsive, service-oriented government, don't you agree?
Oooo, cuddly feeling!
- Gilbert
The budget lives! Like a newly emerged butterfly it floats and flits about the garden, as the council stalks it with net and pin. As fully formed as it is, it is not yet passed into law and still - technically - subject to comment and change. The council will pin it down in upcoming votes, though as far as they are concerned, it is a done deal, ready to be ethered and stuck in the display cabinet.
As we noted last week the council squeezed some expenditures out of the city manager's budget, reducing the tax rate raise on homeowners. They even squeezed some more out since the Budget Reconciliation session May 7. What had been a roughly 9% raise is now roughly a 5% raise.
This year, Wright was finding areas himself - he was the one who brought up the reserve funds. These are funds that are held in reserve in case of emergencies or the need to replace expensive equipment. Each year the budget includes a little extra tax revenue to tuckinto these funds, and Wright thought perhaps this year the city could forego that.
Ward 4 representative Terry Seamens was the council's most frugally minded member this year. He was outvoted in his efforts at to cut or curtail next year's expenditures for the Public Works Department renovations, "gateway signage," the city newsletter, and the "Takoma Park Survival Guide," among other suggestions.
He objected to the city subsidizing the Survival Guide, a fund-raising device for a local nursery school, because it is also funded by advertising. Seamens felt this was unfair to other local publications (i.e. The Takoma/Silver Spring Voice, home of granolapark) which compete for that advertising money but are not also subsidized by the city. The Voice, he noted, is experiencing considerably harder times than the nursery school in the current economy.
Speaking of Advertising
Yes, Dear Readers, if you support the Voice and granolapark, please come to the party next Monday May 18 from 6-9pm, at Takoma Park's new pizza joint, Roscoe's!
It will feature Roscoe's brick oven pizza, live local music, and Jamie Raskin and others speaking on the importance of a local, independent press.
$50 to join the party. $100 to join the Host committee. Go here and contribute now to get your name on the list at the door.
Your Gilbert will send a high-ranking member of our office staff to press the flesh of any granolapark fans who turn up. We would attend personally, but we much prefer to drink alone.
Pool News
The pool people (a frightening bunch - all of them maniacally cheerful) said at the May 11th city council meeting that they've winnowed down their own budget, and that thanks to the $10,000 the city gave them, it looks like the county will keep them afloat, so to speak.
Second Opinion
Oddly, one of the members of the Health Services Impact Committee felt moved to address the council May 11th as it perfunctorily voted to accept the report that committee submitted back in February. He kept backing and filling - saying that he supported the work and conclusions of the report, but he wasn't entirely comfortable with one point, though he supported it, really, except he didn't, but just a little. He didn't support the call for the city to fund some of the aspects of the plan.
Your Gilbert recalls the dramatic moment when that committee was presenting its ambitious report and the words "city funding" came up, The council's faces darkened, they all sat back in their chairs with arms folded, and the Mayor stepped on the hidden switch behind the desk. The floor opened and the committee fell screaming into the sharp petals of the ravenous, man-eating azaleas in the deep pit below the city council chambers.
Terry Seamens was the lone vote last Monday against pay raises for city employees, saying that in the wake of a tax rate raise (despite the efforts to reduce it), and in them midst of the hard economic times, he couldn't see how it was justified this year.
The pay increases are part of a "market rate adjustment." A study funded by the city last year showed that while lower level city employees earned more than others working in similar jobs for similar-sized cities, the city's higher level employees earned less than their contemporaries. It was recommended that the city bump up their salaries to keep them happy and to keep them from wandering away.
Dougless
Ward 6 councilmember Doug Barry resigned his seat for "personal reasons", effective at the end of May this year. He will be moving to Washington, DC. It is too close to November elections to hold a special ballot, so the council will appoint a replacement.
Barry is an articulate ,efficient, and dedicated councilmember whose special interests include the development of the New Hampshire Avenue corridor and housing code enforcement. During the council comment section of many city council meetings he typically makes playful announcements about often-ignored parts of the housing code.
The city council worked their way through a long list of proposed budget adjustments at their May 7th meeting. They discussed each, then voted them up or down. Shortly after 11pm they finished the process with a 2 cent reduction to the city manager's previously proposed tax rate.That was the official amount that they mayor said should be announced, though when they crunched the numbers it came out closer to 2.25 cents.
More details when we have regained sanity.
- Gilbert
]]>The council would like to have a little heart-to-heart discussion with you. You can't go on like this forever, you know, not as long as the economy is as soft as a warm marshmallow - and likewise burning at the edges.
Property values may sink into that marshmallow, and property values are what the taxes are calculated on. When those start going down - as good as that sounds to taxpayers - it means the city will have less revenue, and . . . then what?
]]> That's what the council wants to chat with you about. What services are you willing to reduce or give up? Doubtless, this does not mean axing the entire police department or library. It means, perhaps, no vacuum truck leaf pickup, or Sunday community center hours. I might mean paying fees for some things that are now free, or paying higher fees for community center room rentals.The council solemnly vowed to hold community meetings on this once the budget is settled this week.
Final Act
The stage was set Monday May 4th for the final act of the budget settlement Thursday May 7.
In response to the councils questions and suggestions city manager Barbara Matthews presented data on which to base a final decision.
Her memos remind the council that they did not want to cut any departments or even any currently filled jobs in order to balance the budget.
She listed a number of other expenditures that could be cut, and she dutifully noted what service the city would lose or what consequence it would suffer as a result. Unsurprisingly, almost all of these options noted that "staff does not recommend" cutting them.
Matthews did encourage the council not to fill all or some of the now-vacant employee positions, and to consider cutting reserve funds in the 2010 budget. These reserve funds are what amount to city "savings accounts" that are used for special contingencies, to buy equipment, take care of emergencies, or pay for an important unbudgeted expenses. Every budget has included an amount to put aside in these reserve or emergency funds. Also, money that would have gone to budgeted items, but doesn't (say in the instance of the unpaid salary of an employee who leaves and is not replaced right away) gets tossed into these funds, too.
Over the last three years there have been from 1,300,000 million to 3,400,000 million, approximately, in these unreserved funds.
The council mulled this information over and indications are that they will each present specific plans at the May 7 meeting.
If the rough ideas they voiced are any indication, their plans will involve keeping some of the employee positions open, make the least painful expenditure cuts, and, as Councilmember Josh Wright termed it, "sharpen pencils around the reserve" funds.
Wright also stressed that "nobody has suggested giving a tax cut" or cutting services. Their goal, he said as been to limit increases on tax rates.
Wash Out?
An car wash entrepreneur and his architect came before the council to present their plan to build one of t heir car washes on NH Avenue. They were at great pains to cast their operation as upscale - referring frequently to their similar car wash on upper Wisconsin Ave. NW, in DC. (or as they referred to it "Chevy Chase, DC").
They reassured the council that their setup avoided any traffic blockages, and they came prepared with data showing that noise would not be a problem. They were less prepared for questions about how "green" the operation would be, and details about the suds content of their storm water runoff.
They seemed open, however, to putting in a LEED certified green roof, and other environmental concerns. They also claimed to be unfamiliar with the city's charette plan for NH Avenues redevelopment.
Though a car wash does not fit in with the charette plans for that specific spot, the council did admit that it fits in with current use - a couple of adjacent gas stations. So, though chilly at first, they warmed up to the idea a bit.
Three neighbors from adjacent Sligo Mill Road, however, spoke loudly against it during citizen comment period.
- Gilbert
They called it "Reconciliation" but it looked more like "Divergence."
The goal of that Thursday April 30 city council agenda item was to come up with a consensus plan for balancing the budget, but each councilmember had his or her own plan, and the city manager had one or two, herself.
]]> City manager Barbara Matthews, though fiercely protective of city staff jobs, saw two places to reduce expenses: employee insurance benefits and a hiring freeze. She also floated the idea that the city could start charging user fees for such services as vacuum truck leaf-pickup.Councilmember Josh Wright said the tax burden might be reduced by the average amount the city collects every year for its reserve fund. He also thought a small across-the-board budget reduction would save money without causing layoffs or service reduction. Councilmember Colleen Clay suggested a hiring freeze and job shifting in what she has called the "top-heavy" Recreation Department.
Councilmember Terry Seamens thought the Public Works Department's new facility should be put on hold for a while. He also called for a 3.5 cent (per $100 real estate assessment value) reduction in the property tax rate.
At the end, the city manager got them to find some common ground. They all agreed they don't want to have any employee layoffs. They all agreed they want a reduction in the tax rate. The city manager floated a 2-3 cent reduction, but councilmember Clay said 2 cents was not enough, and councilmember Seamens lobbied again for 3.5 cents.
The city manager, who has been burning barrels of midnight oil to deal with requests from the council to provide additional budget information, will burn more as she makes a list for the May 4th city council meeting showing how different cut percentages would effect city departments.
- Gilbert
]]>Chief Ronald Ricuicci told the council that the city is following the swine flu threat and has a plan in case of "an event." They have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COUP) for the city which the chief and city manager have reviewed.
So, does anyone else think naming the city's crisis plan a COUP unfortunate?
Anyway, the chief assured everyone at the start of the April 27th city council meeting that they are monitoring the situation, will keep the council informed, post information on the city web site, and update that information as events progress. In addition, for their own safety, the council will be placed in protective custody and the police chief will be running things until further notice.
]]> Oh, wait, there's a knock on the door. Be right back.. . . . That was the chief. He says "It's COOP, you moron, Not COUP!" Thanks, Chief!
Regardless of the name, you might want to review this previous granolapark posting on the city's plans for disaster, Dear Readers. It may inspire you to get prepared now in a prudent, unpanicked, orderly way.
As we so elegantly wrote last fall: "the emergency preparedness folks are trying to get the message to YOU that in an emergency situation, whether it be a power outage, a tornado strike, a pandemic, or a terrorist attack, you will be pretty much on your own at first. The more people who know this and are prepared for it, the better off we will be. You need to stock up on food and supplies to get you through a few days."
Words to the wise.
Accident or Assassination Attempt?
It was an accident. Councilmember Reuben Snipper, in what may have been an historical first, attended the April 27th meeting via telecommunication. Snipper was injured when a car hit his bicycle.
So far, no charges of an assassination attempt have been made. Nor will they be. But, we got you to keep reading, didn't we?
Plan B
One of our stalwart Dear Readers and frequent comment-makers is Alain. Every time Your Gilbert pokes the council with some gentle humor, Alain tries to turn it into a poison dart. For instance, his comment on our last posting:
Thank you for this very accurate description of the pattern of the budgetary discussions, pattern that is not new and has been going on for years.Many years ago, TP Council members have abdicated their role of being careful overseers of the use of city resources in budgetary matters and have reduced themselves to that of a rubber-stamping mechanism for staff suggestions.
In the annual key decision that the Council has to make, their role is nothing more than that of a bunch of seat-warmers.
Any possibility of change next November? One can only hope... and probably be disappointed!
But, even Alain's flinty heart would have gone all cuddly-soft if he'd seen the council grilling department heads last night. With BBQ sauce!
Constituent grumbling is becoming a roar, judging by comments councilmembers made during last night's department budget reviews. A number of councilmembers remarked that they are hearing from residents upset about the prospect of rising tax rates and budgets.
One such citizen showed up to wave the city newsletter in the councils faces. During the citizen comment period she lambasted them, saying that if they wanted to look for a place to make cuts, they should start there. The newsletter had a color photograph on the front page (color is more expensive than b&w printing).
With her own income reduced and her next door neighbor unemployed, she implored the council to "cut . . . just a little bit" instead of considering tax rate increases or even staying at a flat rate.
She also ripped into the police, claiming she'd seen police officers sleeping on duty, and questioning whether the city needs a full-service police force.
This earned her a reprimand from councilmember Terry Seamens, who said he has been a great critic of the police, but stands by the new chief. Great improvements have been made, said Seamens, including improving the force's work ethic.
Seamens did make clear that he heard her concerns about the budget and taxation, however, and he seemed greatly sympathetic on that score.
Councilmember Dan Robinson repeatedly asked the department heads (Recreation and Police) what their "Plan B" was, in case they were asked to cut their budgets. The department heads were careful not to admit they had a Plan B, because everyone on the dais, the room, the department, the building, and the entire universe knew, the second they ADMITTED they had a Plan B, Plan B would become Plan A. There were indications, however, that they did have such plans if push comes to shove.
Councilmember Colleen Clay gave the Recreation Department staff a particularly hard time. Clay has taken that department to task previous times, as well. She stated bluntly that the staff seemed top-heavy. The department has three directors whose roles, Clay said, were not clear to her.
The staff replied that they have reduced their department by one position, which they are not refilling as a cost-saving measure, but Clay pointed out that was a lower position.
Clay, momentarily forgetting her long-ago New Year's resolution not to micromanage, took the opportunity to suggest a program she thought the rec. department should offer, and to light into them for issues such as too much noise in the community center's Azalea Room, and young employees talking on cell phones and listening to their MP3 players during work hours.
The staff, when pressed by councilmember Robinson to come up with a Plan B," had the usual response - the only cutting that would have any impact is to eliminate staff positions, which would result in reduced resources, hours, and income from facility and program fees.
They were planing fee increases, they said, and looking to increase participation in programs. This would help offset costs.
When someone hinted that one cost-saving move would be to close the city's recreation center in Ward 6, councilmember Doug Barry leapt to its defense, saying it serves "kids with rough lives, helping gang prevention.
More on last night's session to come.
- Gilbert
But, it never happens like that. After all, the council are kindly folk who don't don't want to threaten people' s jobs or take away city services.
]]> They are also sympathetic to the city's taxpayers, and they'd LIKE to make cuts, they really would, and they really try. The conversations usually go something like:Councilmember X: So, uh this expense here, is there any way to, . . . you know, . . . . sort of, "reduce" it?
Department Head Y: No, not at all, that's the cheapest cost possible and its a service citizens enjoy and expect. Of course, we COULD fire Little Nell, the one with rickets and the cute puppy . . .
Councilmember X: No, no, no, no! Thank you and your staff for the wonderful work you do.
Meanwhile, our eyes were rolling so much we got dizzy. As we've seen in two weeks of budget review, every department's budget proposal is now written to the tune of the city's Strategic Plan and Council Priorities. So, each introduction uses buzz words from the Plan Thus, we learn how the mission of each department, by golly, just happens to perfectly dovetail with the city's goals of "sustainability, "livable community," and "engaged, responsive, and service oriented government." It's . . . just . . . AMAZING how simpatico the department heads and the council turn out to be. OMG!
Shall we all roll our eyes together, Dear Readers? Don't attempt it if you've been drinking. Oops. See what I mean?
Glub, Glub!
The pool is going under for the second time, and the council is reluctantly playing lifeguard. The county funding that got the Piney Branch pool operating and open to the public is ending in June and the county council, facing severe budget shortfalls, is not eager to spend any more money on it.
The council, thoroughly annoyed, voted April 20th to "find $10,000 in our budget that isn't there," as Mayor Bruce Williams put it, to keep the pool open. The county council had asked for such a gesture, but as councilmembers Terry Seamens and Josh Wright noted, the county does not ask other communities to pass the hat to keep their aquatic centers open.
- Gilbert
]]>The city budget is driving us to drink. And, since Happy Hour starts in a few minutes, this posting will be brief.
The next time the city manager describes how the budget shortfall, flat income tax revenue, simultaneously rising and falling property taxes, highway user fees, municipal bonds, and staff health insurance relate to one another, will someone PLEASE stop the Mayor from explaining what she meant? As stalwart as His Honor is, that guy can fold and refold sentences like Your Gilbert trying to remember how to make an origami swan.
Yes, Dear Readers, once again it is time to review the city manager's annual budget, and once again Your Gilbert wants to crawl under the couch with a nice soft blankie.
]]> We will spare you the details as we wish someone had spared us. It's enough to say that the city dynamics were played out as first a group of citizens decried high city taxation, implored the council not to raise the tax rate, and expressed shock and outrage that such a thing would even be considered in an economic downturn.Then came the Old Town Business Association, to remind the council what a good investment the donation it makes to them is.
And so it goes; citizens grouse about the high taxes, special interest groups plead for continued funding.
Councilmember Seamens said he was concerned to see that the 2010 budget proposal spends 2.5 million dollars more than than revenues. Councilmember Dan Robinson observed that the tax burden falls on property owners, since that portion of tax revenue MIGHT be increased to make up for other revenue sources that are decreasing due to the faltering economy.
The biggest expense will be the new public works department facility for which the city will have to take out a loan in the form of a bond. See the last item in last week's post about the new facility.
Hard of Hearing
April 13th's meeting included a budget-related hearing on the Constant Yield Tax Rate, as required by state law. Simply put, if the city's property tax rate is the same as last year's, people's tax payments will go up almost 10%. We know, we know. THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Bear with us!
It works out that way because the state property tax rates increase every year on homes with soaring values. However, those nasty state property taxes only bump up 10% a year so that property owners don't take a big hit. Due to this area's volcano-like rise in property values over the last decade, the assessed values have also shot up. There will be another assessment this year, by the way, so those values may flatten or decline.
We got off the track! Easy to do with this stuff. Hurry, Happy Hour!
OK, so if the city reduces the property tax rate a fraction, we'd all be paying about the same taxes as last year. But, given reductions or flattening in other sources of tax income (highway users fees, income tax, etc.), that would mean fewer revenues for the city. (We think we got that right)
Given that, the city is CONSIDERING keeping the same property tax rate so they have the same revenues, and that would mean a 10% raise in city tax.
The council urged citizens to give them input on the budget. There will be another hearing on the constant yield tax rate a the end of the budget process, as the council reminded the public, but citizens can make comments on the subject at any council meeting.
The City Manager made an interesting remark at one point, characterizing the city's employee benefit package as "rich." Maybe she can cut a deal with the union to save a few bucks there.
The budget can be downloaded in pdf form from the city web site.
That clock must be broken, it's barely moved.
Dodge City
The city dodged a few throwing knives lobbed at it by the state legislature. The funds for the city auditorium/city-council chambers renovation WILL be forthcoming from the state's Project Open Space. So, that should soon be on track.
Legislation banning, limiting, or hindering rent control went nowhere.
The state horned in on speed camera loot, but it won't much affect the city. A certain percentage of fines from such cameras must go to the state, but the cams would have to top 2.7 million dollars to affect Takoma Park. The formula is that fines exceeding 10% of the jurisdiction's annual budget go to the state - and the city budget is 27 million dollars. The state did require speed cameras to be set to 12 MPH over the speed limit, and the city will have to comply with that.
What time is it now? Is that all?
Taking the Limit
The city police presented what the chief proudly called the nation's "most extensive directive drafted to this date" on the proscribed use of license plate scanners. Taking to heart the civil liberties concerns of citizens and the council, the directive greatly limits the storage of license plate data. In most cases the data will be "dumped" at the end of each operator's shift.
The uses of the scanner will be limited, also. It will be used only to "watch" for stolen vehicles, wanted persons, suspended licenses, and Amber Alerts.
The council expressed great satisfaction with the proposed directive and suggested only a few small changes. Councilmember Josh Wright asked the police that in the future, "ask us before you go for another grant." The police had presented a request to the council to purchase he scanner AFTER it had procured the grant money to do so.
Make mine a double!
- Gilbert
]]>When you lose your job and can't buy food for your children or pay your rent, what is it you need most?
Why, you need to feel GOOD about yourself and your community identity, that's what! So, that's why the council majority voted April 6 to proceed with plans to spend $67,000 erecting genteel "gateway" signage.
Councilmember Terry Seamens, the lone "nay" vote, thought the city should hold off on such frivolous expenditures during hard times. Seamens said he was struck by the incongruity when he spotted two new "gateway" signs, price tag of $1000 each, doing nothing but labeling Sligo Creek, around the same time he delivered food relief to an impoverished constituent.
"Sensitive" as she said she was to Seamen's constituents and to frivolous city spending, Councilmember Colleen Clay said her constituents in more affluent Ward 2 were clamoring for the signs. Signage and landscaping, she said, proclaimed a sense of community and contributed to crime prevention and traffic calming. So saying, she moved the ordinance.
Seconding the motion, Councilmember Doug Barry said his constituents were also asking for signs, especially those in the part of Ward 6 separated from the rest of the city by New Hampshire Avenue. The signage cost, he said was "money well spent."
Councilmember Josh Wright, whose Ward 1 has already had "gateway" signs installed, declared his sensitivity to the issue as well, but said he would defer to councilmembers whose wards did not have signage yet. He voted for the measure, which passed, 6 - 1.
No Free Ride, No Free Swim
Another shellshocked visitor from the county council dropped in last Monday. County councilmember George Leventhal had much the same things to say as the last visitor county councilmember Marc Elrich.
To sum it up: gloom and doom.
Here are the details, Dear Readers, if you can stand it. Get out your hankies! The county budget will have the smallest increase in decades this year, which doesn't even keep up with the cost of utilities. The county is looking at the elimination of 400 jobs, and a possible cut in the school budget. Leventhal predicted "significant furloughs." Your Gilbert thinks he has no hope for his application to the county as official blogger. Perhaps we shouldn't have proposed a $500,000 yearly salary. Mr. Leggett, we will accept $225,000!
The county council is counting on ("praying for" is a better description) revenues from a proposed Emergency Medical Services Transport fee, or as it is better known, the "ambulance fee". This, Leventhal admits, is an "unfortunately named bill" (and that is an understatement).
Public opinion against the bill is high, though Leventhal, like Elrich before him, said that only insurance companies would be paying all the fees. There would not even be any co-payments. Uninsured people, as long as they are county residents, would pay no fee. Surrounding jurisdictions have the same fee system and t hey report no reduction in the number of ambulance calls. The fear among opponents is that people will hesitate to call an ambulance if they think they might have to pay a fee.
Whether the bill will pass is not known, but Leventhal says he will vote for it.
Although he was cheered by the city council for helping get Piney Branch pool reopened, Leventhal warned that, given the county's tight budget, it will have to become self-sufficient if it wants to stay open. The county will likely not fund continuing operation costs. The county's aquatic centers are similarly self-supporting, Leventhal said. The Piney Branch's preliminary figures indicate that self-sufficiency is possible, he noted.
Fast Money
Do we detect a touch of defensiveness on the subject of speed cameras? Every remark from the council or staff includes a pointed mention that the GOAL of the speed cameras is SLOWING TRAFFIC, (not revenue enhancement, no, no, not that! It never crossed our minds!).
Councilmember Barry said as much during council comments, noting that indeed traffic on New Hampshire Avenue has slowed down. This, he predicted, would reduce accidents and fatalities.
City Manager Barbara Matthews also stressed that the goal of the speed cameras is to slow traffic. However, she said this in the midst of her 2010 budget presentation, in which "Speed Cameras" appeared in her list of revenue producers. Also, it was one of the factors she hoped would offset the budget's 1.35 million dollar shortfall.
The cameras have only been working for two weeks, but the city projects 7500 citations will be issued monthly. Speed camera revenues, the city manager reminded everyone, can only be spent on public safety.
But Nobody Pinched Her
One reason for the shortfall is a projected $760,000 cost to build a new public works facility. "Pinch me!" said Darly Braithewaite, Public Works Dept. Director. The current facility is long overdue to be replaced. It costs the city increasingly large amounts for utilities, and is embarrassingly unfriendly to the environment, given the city's commitment to environmental and energy sustainability.
In fact, even in the face of a budget overrun, councilmember Reuben Snipper proposed an amendment that the new facility be LEED certified (certified to be environmentally friendly), which is costly. The amendment was not added, but only because the city manager assured Snipper that she had the discretion to add that cost in if the council later agreed to require LEED certification. She added that she has informally talked to a design firm that wants a LEED project to gain experience, and they might waive the additional fees to the city to get that experience.
As painful as additional cost might be, councilmember Wright reminded his colleagues, the council's own strategic plan commits them to sustainability. The rest of the council seemed to be in agreement, saying a green building would not only save the city money over time, but would serve as an educational tool. The Public Works director Braithewaite suggested that some costs could be postponed, for example the facility could be constructed so that geothermal heating and cooling might be added later
.The Takoma Park City Council made the surprise announcement that most of the councilmembers have recently acquired extraordinary powers and were forming a league of super heroes.
Mayor Bruce "Captain Takoma" Williams made the announcement at the special work session April 1. He introduced each councilmember present by his super-hero nomenclature and a brief description of his new power: Doug "Neatman" Barry (ability to clean up neighborhoods with a blast of his super-breath), Dan "Enviroman" Robinson (shrinks carbon footprints with his Frostovision), and Reuben "Snipperman" Snipper (able to cut red tape with his new scissor-bladed appendages), and Terry "The Suit" Seamens (supermodel). Councilmember Colleen Clay said she needed no additional special powers or name - "I'm already a mom!"
]]> Strangely absent was councilmember Josh Wright. And the rest of the council refused to explain his whereabouts. Your Gilbert wonders if the rumors are true - that there is something more than an uncanny resemblance between Wright and the infamous Doctor Horrible!The council then adjourned and, colorful capes billowing in the cool night air, flew off to their secret headquarters.
- Gilbert
]]>Asking the city council for money can be tough. It certainly was for the Community Indicators Project director Bruce Baker.
The Community Indicators Project's purpose is to measure at least three of the city's "quality of life indicators:" housing, economic development, and health.
Even with former mayor Cathy Porter sitting next to him, the project director's update presentation to the council did not go over well, particularly the part about needing an increase in funds to, . . . well, to pay more to the project director. The amount of work, he said, is much more than anticipated, and the current amount granted by the city does not cover his time adequately.
]]> The mayor noted that usually such projects get DECREASING amounts of money from year to year, lest they become a permanent burden on the budget.The information presented to them about housing costs and disparities was not particularly new, said Councilmembers Wright and Seamens, the self-appointed wet-blanket brigade.
Councilmembers Clay and Snipper, however said they appreciated the report, and Clay encouraged Baker to "value your time" and seek adequate compensation.
Former mayor Porter also stuck up for Baker, saying that the project participants didn't expect to find any startling new information at this early point. The idea, she said, is to take detailed measurements of social, economic, and other conditions, and compare them over time. This will help them track the indicators to see how they work. Eventually, it will be possible to see whether city and county policies are effective or not.
The indicators project, by the way, is supposed to be for both Silver Spring and Takoma Park. But the cash-strapped county has not chipped in their share of grant-money.
Historyonics
The Community Indicators Project could take lessons in asking the city for money from Historical Takoma, Inc. (HTI) It helps to bring an air of outrage, apparently.
The back story here is that HTI recently purchased a property on Carroll Ave, the former Barcelona Nut Shop, to use as its offices, meeting space, and archive. HTI is a nonprofit volunteer organization. It is independent of the city government. The money to buy the building came mostly from state and county grants - $260,000 each. That's not enough to finish the job, but the work is ongoing and at a crucial stage - and more money is needed.
The city promised to kick in $30,000 this year. They chatted with the HTI folks about it last September, had the city staff write up a Memorandum of Understanding, and sent a copy to HTI.
The Historic Takoma folks were unhappy with some of the memorandum's terms. "Unhappy" doesn't quite describe it. They were unhappy in the way most property owners are in the final stages of a renovation. That's when they are worn down to the last frizzle of their frazzle and their response to anything from "We have a little problem," to "Good morning!" is "WHAT!? WHAT!? NOW WHAT?!"
Their construction company, HTI said, might leave them in the lurch for a another job unless the city's donation was made available pronto. So, they were under considerable stress to get the Memorandum of Understanding amended that very evening. They were a desperate bunch at the eleventh hour - literally and figuratively.
To reduce YOUR stress and desperation, Dear Readers, we assure you it all worked out at the end, though on the way there were some flashes of annoyance and terse exchanges about lack of trust - on both sides.
Details such as whether the money should be distributed as a lump sum or in small increments, restrictions on how the money could be spent, how much free use of the building the city would receive in return, how much if anything HTI would owe the city if they decided to sell the building, and a number of word edits, deletions, and clarifications were finally made at a late hour. The March 23rd council meeting adjourned and all dispersed, tired and more-or-less happy.
Break Time
There was no city council meeting Monday, March 30, so Your Gilbert will take a break, too. We were unable to cover the WSSC meeting last Thursday, so if any of you Dear Readers were there, please tell us what happened.
Have you checked out the Takoma Voice (and Silver Spring Voice) new front page? It's SLICK!. Note the cutting-edge journalism of the St. Patrick's Day audio/photo essay
- Gilbert
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